


Should Have

by Historywriter2007



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Bruno Mars - Freeform, Eavesdropping, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 16:25:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7899766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Historywriter2007/pseuds/Historywriter2007
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wrote this for one for everlarkbirthdaydrabbles.  I got the idea from Bruno Mars When I Was Your Man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Should Have

_Mmm, too young, too dumb to realize_

_That I should’ve bought you flowers_

_And held your hand_

_Should’ve gave you all my hours_

_When I had the chance_

_Take you to every party_

_‘Cause all you wanted to do was dance_

_Now my baby’s dancing_

_But she’s dancing with another man- Bruno Mars_

Gale parked his rental car in front of the Everdeen house. It looked better than the last time he saw it. He figured Katniss had some life insurance money from her mother’s death that she used to fix it up. He still regretted that he wasn’t able to talk Katniss into joining him in Colorado after Mrs. Everdeen died of cancer, but she didn’t want to uproot Prim and drag her across the country. Now that Prim was in college several states away he hoped he could get Katniss to finally leave this one-horse town and move to a real city with him. As he strolled up the walkway he noticed just how much work had been done. The house was freshly painted — white with dark green shutters — flowers filled the window boxes and a new porch swing swayed in the light breeze. Gale knew Katniss wouldn’t have paid for this much work, someone must have helped her with the house. Although she could sit for hours waiting for a deer to cross their path, she didn’t have patience for much else, especially painting and gardening.

He was walking up to the front door when he noticed music coming from the backyard; of course she would be outside on a nice day. He walked around the side of the house and saw a newer black Jeep in the driveway. There was no way Katniss would by a car like that one. Since the Jeep didn’t have the top or doors on, Gale reasoned that it wasn’t technically closed up he could take a look around. He first observed the burnt orange hat with the Mellark’s bakery logo across the top. Gale knew there were three Mellark brothers but only one remained in their small town; surely Katniss wouldn’t be hanging out with Peeta. Maybe she finally gave him a sympathy date. Peeta’s crush on Katniss was the worst kept secret in Panem. In fact, the only person who didn’t know about it was Katniss herself. Gale saw a receipt in the center console that started to flutter in the wind. It was his duty to make sure it didn’t fly away and litter the ground. The receipt was from a local shop for a bouquet of flowers. He chuckled at the thought of someone giving Katniss flowers. She thought things like that were silly. Obviously, Peeta didn’t know her very well. He smiled at himself as he thought of her running to his arms leaving Peeta behind.  

As he got closer to the fence, he heard her laugh, God he missed that sound. He still hated that he left her behind, but he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work as a contractor for the defense department. It was the right thing for his career; however, as the years went by Katniss and he had drifted apart. They never exclusively dated, but he always thought they would end up getting married. Now that he was established and Prim was taken care of, he could finally make get her to see that they should be together.

He reached for the handle on the door of the privacy fence, but the sound of Peeta’s voice stopped him.

“I know you only love me for the cheese buns.”

“That’s not true,” Katniss’s voice floated through the air, “I love a lot of things about you.”

“Oh really, like what?” There was a teasing tone to Peeta voice, one that would only come from someone who was comfortable. Gale realized they knew each other better than he had hoped.

“Well, I love that you bring me flowers and that you take me out to dance. I love that you spend all your free time with me, even if it is just to be in the same room while we both work, and I love that you helped me fix up the house.“ Gale realized these were things he never did or thought of doing for Katniss. He just assumed she would think it was a waste of time and resources.

“Oh, is that all?” Peeta said.

Katniss chuckled before she answered. “No, I love how your eyes light up when you see me enter a room and how your arms make me feel safe. But most of all, I love when you hold my face in your hands when you kiss me.”

Peeta quickly responded, “Like this?”

Gale looked through a hole in the fence in time to see Peeta taking Katniss’s face in his hands as they kissed and he felt his stomach drop. He had kissed Katniss before, but this was different. He could see her melt into Peeta’s kiss, then he noticed her pull away for a second before climbing on his lap, straddling him, with her dress flowing behind her. Gale knew he should turn around and leave, but he was frozen in place watching the scene in front of him. Peeta groaned as Katniss got up. She walked to the door, but he swept her into his arms, before she could get too far away from him, which caused her to giggle. Gale again questioned how much he actually knew about her, the Katniss he left years ago didn’t giggle. It was clear that time had changed her in a good way — this Katniss seemed happy.

Gale started to leave, he knew he had lost her especially when he heard what she said next. “You know what I love the most about you? That I get to call you my husband.”


End file.
